Masonic Memories.

^ ^ u memories of the past will supervene to whisper to us of many pleasant hours and happy gatherings , and to remember us of that good old lodge " quorum pars , " once upon a time " magna fuimus . "

Recent Provincial Grand Lodges.

RECENT PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGES .

We have had to report the meetings of several of our important Provincial Grand Lodges lately , and as a general rule they all display much Masonic activity , and a happy and peaceful and constitutional progress , on the good old foundations and according to the safe old landmarks of

Freemasonry . In one Provincial Grand Lodge , indeed , which shall here be nameless , the brethren were told to report nothing to the press , and the so-called official report is alike meagre and unsatisfactory . Any alarm or jealousy of the Masonic Press , which only caters for the

information of the Craft at large , is alike unworthy of our age and our Order . In West Lancashire , under the presidency of our active and distinguished Deputy Grand Master , the P . G . Lodge , in accordance with the powers of the Book of Constitutions , has

unanimously resolved to tax all the lodges in West Yorkshire for the purposes of benevolence , and in order to aid the charities . No doubt this may appear , and probably will be , a heavy burden on some lodges which are not so prosperous as others , but it is a step which we venture to deem

greatly calculated to promote the cause and real end of Freemasonry . For one thing is quite clear even to the most careless observer of the current claims and work of our great Masonic Institutions , that what they want is the general support of the Order at large . We do not

saybecause we know that our brotherhood , despite the opinion of some , is not a rich body—that every brother should subscribe alike , but we do contend that more yet mi ght be done by our lodges . and chapters , and by our brethren , if not individually , on the principle of association and

co-operation . For if a certain number of brethren cannot afford properly each to be a Life Governor and Steward , they can club together and endow some of the chairs of the lodge , or offices of the lodge with a perpetual Life Governorship . People sometimes talk as if every member of the 91 , 700

Freemasons who are said to belong to our English Constitution at home and in the colonies could each become a Life Governor of our metropolitan charities . But this is an impossibility from the simple fact , that a large proportion at any rate of our Order have only fixed and limited incomes

to deal with . When then this is the case , the principle of association and co-operation comes in . What you cannot do singly you can do combined with others , and we therefore urge on all our readers to make an election of one of the charities for 1876 , and give it either personal or

conjoint support . There can be no doubt that , if the example of West Lancashire is generally followed , the provinces will have a larger sum to deal with in support of the charities or of local benevolence than they have ever had before , and as the great aim and object of Freemasonry are ever said to be the active principle of fraternal

benevolence , of aid to the distressed , of succour to the needy , of protection to the orphan , we are glad to call attention to the unanimous action of a very distinguished province under its noble and amiable head , and to' note its hearty and truly Masonic proceedings , for the information of our readers , and the imitation of other provinces .

The Grand Orient Of France.

THE GRAND ORIENT OF FRANCE .

The annual meeting of this body is over for 1875 , 3 fter a l ° ng and laborious session , beginning Monday , September the 13 th , and ending Saturday the 18 th . There docs not seem to have

been any matters of very great importance decided •it this annual assembly , that is for those who are t- 'xtera to French Freemasonry . The one point about which there seems to have been most

discussion , and considerable excitement , was the proposal to enable the " Conseil de I'Ordre" to deal judiaially with the case of a Master or an Orator , where the lodge had been led into irregularities of one kind or another , and which were ypposed to the laws and regulations of the Grand Orient . As this was a departure from the normal

The Grand Orient Of France.

condition of affairs , from the actual " * Regime Maconnique , " it led to much opposition , and was finally rejected . It was then a defeat for the Conseil de I'Ordre which formally proposed the alteration . The object , no doubt , was to strengthen the hands ofthe Conseil de I'Ordre in

dealing instantaneously with some aberrations and vagaries , of which individual Masters and lodges have been guilty , and which may occur again , and to repress any deviations from the neutral and unpolitical path , which ought ever to be that of Freemasonrv . But whether or no ,

the Grand Orient thought it better " stare super vias antiquas , " we know not , but it unmistakeably objected to and rejected the proposition . Beyond this we see little to note , as most of the business transacted was purely interesting to our brethren under the Frenctt Constitution . The Grand

Orient took a very decided line as to the dissident chapters , and it is quite clear that the present anomalous arrangement will be perpetuated for some time longer . If we may venture to express an opinion on the matter , we should say , let the Grand Orient govern Craft or symbolic lodges ,

and a High Grade Metropolitan Chapter the Hig h Grade Chapters . Our distinguished Bro . St . Jean has been re-elected President of the Conseil de I'Ordre ; Bro . Cousin , Vice-President ; Bro . Armand , Vice-President ; and Bros . Caubet and Potille , Secretaries . The following brethren

were also elected members of the Conseil : — Poulle , Bremond , Roche , Loubatieres , Doue , De Heredia , Duhamel , Andrieux , Lagache , Bruand , Andre Rouselle , Marchal , Blanchon . We had prepared a translation of Bro . Pinchinat ' s oration

at the close of the meetino for the week before last , but the great press of Masonic reports and correspondence has compelled us to abandon the project , and it will appear in the December " Masonic Magazine . "

International Exhibition At Philadelphia.

INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION AT PHILADELPHIA .

Pressure in our columns of Masonic matters prevents us alluding to this subject , as we said last week .

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

[ We do not hold ourselves responsible for , or even as approving of thcopinions expressed by our correspondents , but we wish , in a spirit of fair play to all , to permit—within certain necessary limits—free uiscussion . —ED . )

THE FREEMASONS' BOYS' SCHOOL . Tn lhe Editor of thc Freemason . Dear Sir anil Brother , — I observe in your notice of the proceedings at the last General Court of this Institution I am reported as having suggested that the time had arrivetl when the school building at Wood Green should be enlarged . Now

this is altogether so different from the import of the few words ] ventured to address to the committee that I ask for space to be allowed to say , I attended the Court on purpose to point out that the very small number of boys which it was propose' . * to elect seemed not to be proportioned to the very large amount of Masonic benevolence which had been entrusted to the Committee of the Boys '

School during the past and preceding years , and also to urge , in view of the continued support given to the institution , that a greater number of poor Masonic children should be provided for ; and I pointed out that in consequence of so small a number being elected it requires sucli an enormous number of votes to be collected as to render it a distressing task to any poor widow to undertake a

canvass , unless supported by influential Masonic friends or some powerful Provincial Lodge . It is possible my diffidence in addressing so large a body of Governors may have rendered my meaning not quite plain , but it is a great stretch of imagination to interpret

my remarks into a suggestion for increasing the building of the Boys' School : considering the large amount which has been expended on its erection , it appears to me improbable that it could not be made to accommodate a considerable number of children beyond those now under its roofs .

I remain , dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , Ai . rnEi ) LAYTON .

THE PROVINCE OF WEST YORKSHIRE AND THE BOYS' SCHOOL . To lhe Editor of lire Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , — A few explanatory corrections in continuation of mine in your last week ' s number , in reply to Messrs . Tew and Perrott .

At p . 29 « e have the expenditure under the head "Grants , Outfits , Gratuities , " most , strongly animadverted upon , it being stated that "the amount so expended in 1872 , 1873 , and 1874 is £ 314 5 s . os . " Quite right , but from this should be deducted £ 9 . £ 4 ios ., and £ 5 in the three years as gratuities of 1 os . each to boys on leaving , and which Mr , Perrott knew was given to each boy personally by the chairman , and therefore could not appear in the tables , and

Original Correspondence.

of £ 1 5 s . for silver medal in 1874 "most unaccountabl y" ( f admit ) charged under the wrong head of expenditure . This leaves £ 294 ios ., thus made up : Grants and Gratuities 1872 no o o » n 1873 122 o o > i 1 , 1874 62 10 o

£ 294 10 o Of this the " Reply " states only 172 10 o Leaving " unaccounted for" £ l ^ 2 o o ( gith the £ 19 iss .= jgi 4 i 13 s . ) " of which no account is rendered . " The inference is obvious . Pray attend to the

annexed statement : — In the Report for 1873 , published in 1874 , the total accounted for on p . 37 is 50 o o „ „ p- 3 8 is 105 o o » . » P- 39 js 95 o o » •>P- 4 ° 75 o o

^ . . £ * 5 ° ° Deduct clerical errors , " Duphcatc Entries , " 4 , Collingwood , Howe , Recknell , Holme , at £ 5 20 o o £ 305 o o Deduct , paid in 1871 , because the table really shows results commencingin the year 1871 55 o o

£ 250 o o And add , as shown on p . 48 , Report 1875 , because absolutely paid in 18 74 47 10 o And you have a sum £ 97 'O o covering the whole amount paid in the three years , instead of a deficit of £ 122 ( 141 15 s . ) " of which no account is

rendered . It may be urged that this account is not ^ readily intelligible , nor perhaps is it so , without explanation . The tables—pp . 37-40 in Report for 1873 ( or those in previous Reports)—were not intended to serve any other purpose than that of showing

a . That certain boys had . left the institution . b . Date of leaving . c . Amount of grant on obtaining situation . d . Calling or occupation . e . g . Samuel Collingwood left the institution in 1868 . Obtained a situation in 1871 . Was granted . £ 5 on June

6 , 1873 , which was paid on 20 th June , 1873 . I give this as an instance proving the impossibility of comparing the tables with the amount expended in any given year as shewn in the balance sliest , antl contend that it is quite sufficient for the information of the subscribers to set forth the manner in which boys on leaving the

institution are assisted from time to time . It is for the Audit Committee to examine and to satisf y themselves that the money granted by the General Committee has been properly expended , and , having done so , to certify thc fact in the published balance sheet . And this has been done most scrupulously with reference to

every shilling of expenditure . To this statement , on behalf of the Audit Committee , I challenge contradiction . Time does not permitan examination sufficiently minute or careful to discover the cause ofthe discrepancy of £ 3 , but it will be ascertained , while every grant and payment

can be verified by reference to minute and cash book . My paramount anxiety being to set myself right on money questions , I trouble you no further at present , leaving other misstatements for future correction . If , however , simple integrity and common honesty are

to be ruthlessly destroyed by the reckless attacks of selfconstituted censors , whose reputation will be safe ? I confidently rely on fhe qualified members of the Order to show unmistakably that personal spleen shall not be gratified at the expense of private character , or by the sacrifice of thc

interests of a noble institution , which already has suffered mueh at the hands of one who for eighteen months unfortunately interfered considerably with its usefulnes , and who now , untler the guise of an exponent of abuses , seems to be labouring as far as his petty power extends to produce its ruin .

I am , dear Sir antl Brother , yours faithfully and fraternally , FREDERICK BINCKES , Secretary . London , 26 th October , 18 75 .

LODGES OF EMERGENCY . To fhe Editor ofthe Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , — The Book of Constitutions , page 64 , says that " a lodge of emergency may at any time be called by the . authority of the Master , " provided " the business to be

transacted at such lodge of emergency shall be cxpressetl in the summons , recorded on the minutes , and no olher business shall be entered upon . " Further , at page 84 , it says , " In eases of emergency " such and such points are to be attended to , " antl tlie circumstances which cause the emergency " are to be stated .

I have ever been in doubt what latitude the Master of a lodge has in calling a lotlge of emergency . I have initiated candidates at a lodge of emergency who have been going abroad at short notice , and conferred other degrees on properly qualified candid ;\ t-s who have come across the

seas and who were not able to stay for a regular lodge , but . I have always hesitated to do more than this . It has been put to me that I can call a lodge of emergency at any time to initiate , pass , and raise brethren , provided they arc elected at a regular lodge and the due time has elapsed between the degrees .